The Portland daily press., 1887-04-02
FOREIGN.
Another Attempt on the Cars
Life.
Debate in the House Of Commons on
the Crimes Bill.
ParnelI Makes Strong Speech op
posing the Government Policy.

ment had propOSeu tno Ailoh cihneS Dill In
Difference to its noisy supporters and to the
blatant press. They had presented no cause
for the measure. He quoted the opinions of
the iudges in favor Of the bill, but said that
those iudges had received information upon
which thev based their opinions from the
same source as the government. (Cheers)
He did not dispute the fact that the law
might be adyantageously improved so as to
facilitate the obtaining Of verdicts, and sug-
gested the adoption of the Scottish system
taking the verdict of majority of the jury
He admitted that intimidation existed in
Ireland to certain extent, but claimed that
before dealing with that the government had
to consider that it had its origin clearly in
the agrarian difficulty. The extensive ten
ants combination came into existence to
meet system of oppression which the inn
poverished people had been unable to meet
otherwise. Ii the proposed remedial meas
ures proved a success coercion would not be
| needed and if they proved failure coercion
would be useless because it would not allay
the discomfort that failure would engender
| The bill said Bannerman, should be con-
demned on both these grounds. (Cheers)
Sir Richard Webster, attorney general,
thought the foregoing speech would have a
lad effect outside of parliament, considering
the fact that Campbell Bannerman was for
/
MED that the bill had been brought in in the
| interests Of the Irish landlords. Such a bill
| for such purpose would obtain no support
from him. The government excepted the
| full responsibility for the measure which
had been brought in the interests of true lib
erty lCheersD
Mr.. Parnell here moved to adjourn the de-
bate.
Mr.. w. II. Smith said he would ask the
| House today to decide on the main question.
1 Sir William Vernon HarQ0urf rnmarkinP
| that cloture was to be applied on the fourth
night of the debate, asked where the protec-
tlon was that had been promised to the mi
| nority.
Mr.. Smith, who was frequently interrupt
ed, denied that he had expressed any inten-
| tiOn to close the debate.
Sir William Harcourt replied that if Mr..
Smith intended to propose that the debate be
/ closed today he must have been assured of
the consent of the chair.
The speaker, rising amid loud cheers, said
| that such references were entirely irregular.
He thought it fair to himself and just to the
House to say that if an insinuation of that
/ sort was made it was unworthy and untrue.
| lCheers.) No assent had been given or with
| held. 1t rested it entirely with him to de-
eide what course should be pursued.
MIR. Harcourt accepted the explanation and
| asked how long time would elapse between
the first and second readings of the bill.
Mr.. Smith said the government would fol-
| low the precedent of 1881, and if the bill
| passed its first reading today he would move
| its second reading Monday.
| Mr.. Morley said that the Liberals would
| oppose this proposal by every legitimate
means. The bill Of 1881 consisted uf sim
gle clause, but the present bill abounded in
difficult and intricate technical matters. 1t
/ would be most unjustifable to ask for a sec
ond reading of the bill before it could be
read and considered in the country most in
| terested.
Mr.. Parnell wished to know whether it
| was true that the government intended to ap-
| ply for cloture today. If so it would be for
| him to consider whether he should go into
this amendment with cloture around his
neck.
Mr.. Smith said that he had not referred to
| cloture. He had simply expressed the hope
| that division would be taken today.
The House then adjourned at late hour.
In the House of Commons tonight Mr.. w.
a. Smith, first lord of the treasury, suggest
| ed that If the Irish crimes bill be read the
| first time tonight the second reading could
| be taken up Tuesday, and then there would
| be an interval of a week between the second
reading and the going into committee. He
said it was the imperative duty of the gov
| ernment to insist that the House come to an
early decision on the principle of the bill.
| Referring to the land bill he said it was of
| vital Importance that the government use
| every effort to make the measure law.
Mr. Parnell, upon rising to resume the de-
| bate on the crimes bill, was loudly cheered.
He said that with the production of the land
| bill yesterday, parliament had been put in
possession OF the complete plan of the gov
ernment in all its nakedness and dishonesty.
| The land bill had revealed the extent of the
| plot and the gravity of the conspiracy
| through which the Conservatives and Liber-.
al-Unionists intended to try to coerce ten
| ants In Ireland into the payment of impossi-
| bic rents, and compel them to purchase their
landlords at exorbitant rates. If the House
should ever give government power thus to
| coerce the people the result would most GER
tainly be wholesale reputation, involving
| immense losses to British tax payers. (Hear
| near.l The government were pressing ON
coercion with indecent haste. They had re-
fused to carry out the recommendations of
| the land commission. If the Cocoran bill
was passed the last defence of tenants
| against wholesale robbery would be re-
moved In justly regulated land purchase
lay the only hope of settling the land ques-
| tlon. II it was done at fair price and in
the absence of coercion Irish tenants would
fulfill their obligations to the last penny.
| lie went on to complain of the absence of Of
| fetal information of crime in Ireland.
The government had given them the opinion
| OF judges who thought crime was seriously
increasing. He could quote twelve judges to
show the absence of serious crime. As to
the alleged failures of juries to convict cases,
they had been grossly exaggerated. They
were utterly insufficient grounds for destroy
| ing the liberties of Ireland. The National
League had been called tyranny, but there
was no proof that any pressure had been put
on any one to Join the league. 1t was purely
a national body. the outcome of a genuine
popular feeling, and no branch of the league
had ever been known to exercise force in
order to impress members.
Proceeding to discuss the provisions of the
Dill, Mr. Parnell contended that the powers
given the magistrates would enable them to
senu political opponents to prison for six
months. No part of previous coercion acts
had ever excited so much distrust of English
q g -
of trials and bring Irishmen before special
English J9ries. The proposal meant reign
of judicial murders. 1t meant that all hopes
of the better times which seemed
dswnng upon Ireland Ireland would ddisap
tion OF witnesses and wholesale perjury
before parties and juries was to prevent
sending innocent persons to the scaffold and
the conyicts cell was the only state of
society that could arise under this reign of
terror, and secret societies would spring up,
fostered by the sufferings Of the oppressed
nation, and those who had been persistent
in counselling the people to observe patience
and moderation might counsel in vain, but
he would still counsel them to submit to in
justice rather than retaliate or do anything
that might drive Gladstone from their side,
or increase his difficulties, or place him in a
false position with the Liberals. Their bat
tie was now won in Ireland. (Cheers.) There
might be some suffering and tyranny
yet to be endured, but they could be as moth
| Ing compared WIFI LIlaL Wnlcn the irish
people had gone through in the past. A
little waiting and this bill would disappear
before the brighter time when Mr.. Gladstone
would be able to appeal once more to the
sense of justice of the people of Great
Britain, and receive full power to do right to
Ireland. (Cheers.) The party which alone
could gain by violence, by the people of Ire
land going beyond the law, was the present
government. Its object was to strengthen
the governments own miserable position.
Let not the people of Ireland fall into the
trap thus set for them. He greatly feared
the results of the bill, but he would not
cease to tell them that the situation was en-
tirely different from that of five years ago,
and that for them victory was certain. The
people of Ireland would again bear the
strain with patience. Mr.. Gladstone would
not find his action hampered or his hands
sulied in the great and glorious work he had
undertaken. (Cheers) He concluded by
| moving that the House resolve itself into a
committee to consider the state of Ireland.
Mr.. Harrington, amid great laughter read
letters from the Knight of Kerry, Lord
Moncd. and others, applying on behalf OF
friends and relatives for stipendary magis-
trateships in Ireland. When asked where
he had obtained the letters he replied that
he had bought them at auction. This answer
was received with shouts of laughter. Mr..
Harrington proceeded to explain that the
principal qualifications urged in behalf OF
the applicants were poverty and large fam
lilies. On being interrupted by cries of "di-